Mass murderer Andrew Kehoe was cruel to animals

Andrew Kehoe, the perpetrator of the 1927 Bath School disaster, had a documented history of animal cruelty that preceded his massacre of 44 people, including 38 children. His violent acts against animals were noted by neighbors and offer insight into a personality defined by a need for control and a capacity for extreme brutality.

Mass murderer and animal abuser
Photo taken c. 1920
Name	Andrew Phillip Kehoe
Age	55 (at time of death)
Occupation	Farmer, school board member and treasurer
Known Identifiers	—
Status	—
Involvement	Shot and killed a neighbor's fox terrier dog; beat one of his horses to death; left his horses to die in the fire he set.
Punitive Measure	—

The Bath School disaster

Bath Consolidated School after the bombing

The Bath School disaster was a series of violent attacks committed by Andrew Kehoe on May 18, 1927, in Bath Township, Michigan. Kehoe, a disgruntled farmer and treasurer of the school board, was angered by property taxes levied to fund the school's construction. After murdering his wife, Nellie Price Kehoe, he firebombed his farm and detonated hundreds of pounds of dynamite he had secretly planted over months in the basement of the Bath Consolidated School. As rescuers gathered at the scene, Kehoe drove up in his truck and detonated a final explosion, killing himself, the school superintendent, and several others. The event remains the deadliest act of violence in a school in United States history.

Personality and history of animal cruelty

Neighbors described Kehoe as a difficult and cantankerous man who was obsessively frugal and became enraged when he didn't get his way. This violent temperament was frequently directed at his farm animals. Neighbors reported that he was "very severe with his stock, his horses especially." His cruelty was not limited to neglect or general harshness, but included specific, brutal acts.

One of Kehoe's neighbors, Mrs. Harte, owned a small fox terrier that she was very fond of. The dog had a habit of barking on the Hartes' lawn but never went onto Kehoe's property. In March 1920, the dog went missing. When Mrs. Harte asked Kehoe if he had seen it, he replied that he had shot the dog because it was a "d--- nuisance" for burying a bone near his fence.

On another occasion, about three or four years later, a neighbor witnessed Kehoe beating one of his horses to death. The horse had reportedly not pulled correctly while attached to a manure spreader. When asked about it the next day, Kehoe stated, "Yes, d--- him, he ought to have been killed years ago."

Kehoe's final acts of destruction also involved a calculated act of cruelty toward his last two horses. As he planned the school bombing and the destruction of his farm, he tied the horses inside his barn and then wired their legs together, making it impossible for them to be rescued from the fire he was about to set.

Legacy and remembrance

Girl with cat statue in the Bath School Museum

The Bath School disaster left a deep and lasting scar on the community. Survivors, some of whom were young students at the time, have shared their memories of the event's horror for decades. To preserve the history and honor the victims, the Bath School Museum was established. The museum is housed within the Bath Middle School, near the site of the original disaster, and contains artifacts from the school, photographs, and historical documents. It serves as a place of remembrance and education for the community and visitors.